Collapsible box cradle



1386- 1952 R. TOMCHIN COLLAPSIBLE BOX CRADLE Filed Jan. 30, 1952 I III lPatented Dec. 2, 1952 COLLAPSIBLE BOX CRADLE Robert Tomchin, Woodmere,N. Y., assignor to Philips Mfg. Company, Brooklyn, N. Y., acopartnership consisting of Philip Tomchin and Robert TomchinApplication January 30, 1952, SerialNo. 269,073

6 Claims.

This invention relates to the art of cradles and more particularly totoy cradles which may be made of paper products, objects of theinvention being to provide a cradle which can be readily assembled anddisassembled, which when disassembled can be conveniently stored, whichis constructed of simple inexpensive parts, and which when disassembledcan be used to store other articles such as articles of jewelry.

In one aspect the invention involves a cradle which comprises a boxhaving rectangular inner and outer parts nested together with their opensides both facing upwardly, together with cradle ends ofstiff flexiblesheet material thin enough to slip into the cracks between the ends ofthe aforesaid parts when nested together, each cradle end having aU-shaped slot defining a downwardly-directed tongue, the shape of theslot corresponding to the cross-sectional contour of the outer part ofthe box and the width of the slot corresponding to the thickness of theouter part, the tongues being slipped into the aforesaid cracks and thebottom edges of the slots bearing on the bottom of the outer part of thebox. Preferably the height of the cradle ends is less than the width ofthe box and the length of the cradle ends is less than the length of thebox sothat the cradle ends can be stored in the box when the parts aredisassembled. In the preferred embodiment the cradle ends are curved onthe bottom to serve as rockers.

In a more specific aspect the box comprises a jewelry box formed in theusual way of cardboard or the like and having a pad or other means tosupport an article of jewelry, the cradle ends being formed of stiffpaper, acetate, etc., and shaped as aforesaid.

For the purpose of illustration a typical embodiment of the invention isshown in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is an isometric viewof the parts assembled in the form of a cradle;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of one of the cradle ends; and

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal vertical section of the cradle.

The particular embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose ofillustration comprises inner and outer box parts I and 2 which may beformed of cardboard or other suitable material and nested together asshown in Figs. 1 and 3. Preferably the box contains a pad 3 of anysuitable type for supporting an article of jewelry such as shown at 4 inFig. 1.

According to thepresent invention the cradle ends 6 which are preferablyformed of stiff paper, contain U-shaped slots 1 definingdownwardly-directed tongues 8. The lower edges 9 of the ends may berounded as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 so that the cradle may be rocked backand forth.

To assemble the parts in the form of a cradle the inner and outer boxparts are nested together with their open sides both facing upwardly asin Figs. 1 and 3. To mount the cradle ends on the box the lower portionsof the ends are flexed outwardly, the tongues 8 are slipped downwardlyinto the cracks between the ends of the box parts to the position shownin Fig. 3, after which the lower portions of the ends are permitted toflex back into the plane of the upper portions so that the bottom edgesof the slots bear on the bottom of the outer part of the box as shown inFig. 3.

To disassemble the parts the lower portions of the ends are flexedoutwardly and the ends are then lifted free of the box. As shown in thedrawings the height of the ends is preferably less than the width of thebox and the length of the ends is less than the length of the box sothat the ends can be stored in the box when the parts are disassembled.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purposeof illustration only and that this invention includes all modificationsand equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A cradle comprising a box having rectangular inner and outer partsnested together with their open sides both facing upwardly, cradle endsof stiff flexible sheet material thin enough to slip into the cracksbetween the ends of said parts when nested together, each cradle endhaving a U-shaped slot defining a downwardly-directed tongue, the shapeof the slot corresponding to the cross-sectional contour of the outerpart of the box and the width of the slot corresponding to the thicknessof the outer part, the tongues being slipped into said cracks and thebottom edges of the slots bearing on the bottom of the outer part of thebox.

2. A cradle comprising a box having rectangular inner and outer partsnested together with their open sides both facing upwardly, cradle endsof stiff flexible sheet material thin enough to slip into the cracksbetween the ends of said parts when nested together, each cradle endhaving a U-shaped slot defining a downwardly-directed tongue, the shapeof the slot corresponding to the cross-sectional contour of the outerpart of the box and the width of the slot corresponding to the thicknessof the outer part, the tongues being slipped into said cracks and thebottom edges of the slots bearing on the bottom of the outer part of thebox, the height of the cradle ends being less than the width of the boxand the length of the cradle ends being less than the length of the boxso that the cradle ends can be stored in the box when the parts aredisassembled.

3. A cradle comprising a box having rectangular inner and outer partsnested together with their open sides both facing upwardly, cradle endsof stiff flexible sheet material thin enough to slip into the cracksbetween the endsof said parts when nested together, each cradle endhaving a U-shaped slot defining a downwardly-directed tongue, the shapeof the slot corresponding to the cross-sectional contour of the outerpart of the box and the Width of the slot corresponding to the thicknessof the outer part, the tongues being slipped into said cracks and thebottom edges of the slots bearing on the bottom of the outer part of thebox, the height of the cradle ends being less than the width of the boxand the length of the cradle ends being less than the length of the boxso that the cradle ends can be stored in the box When the parts aredisassembled, the cradle ends being curved on the bottom to serve asrockers.

4. For making a toy cradle with a cardboard box having rectangular innerand outer parts telescoping together, cradle ends of stiff flexiblesheet material thin enough to slip into the cracks between the ends ofsaid parts when nested together, each cradle end having a U-shaped slotdefining a downwardly-directed tongue, the shape of the slotcorresponding to the cross-sectional contour of the outer part and thewidth of the slot corresponding to the thickness of the outer part sothat the tongue may be slippedinto said crack by flexing the lower endof the rocker outwardly after which the lower end may flex back underthe end of the box with the outer edge of the slotbearing on the outersurface of the outer part at the sides and bottom.

5. For making a toy cradle with a cardboard box having rectangular innerand outer parts telescoping together, cradle ends of stifi flexiblesheet material thin enough to slip into the cracks between the ends ofsaid parts when nested together, each cradle end having a U-shaped slotdefining a downwardly directed tongue, the shape of the slotcorresponding to the cross-sectional contour of the outer part and thewidth of the slot corresponding to the thickness of the outer part sothat the tongue may be slipped into said crack by flexing "the lower endof the rocker outwardly after which the lower end may flex back underthe end of the box with the outer edge of the slot bearing on the outersurface of the outer part at the sides and bottom, the height of thecradle ends being less than the width of the box and the length of thecradle ends being less than the length or the .box so that the cradleends can be stored in the box when the parts are disassembled.

6. For making a toy cradle with a cardboard box having rectangular innerand outer parts telescoping together, cradle ends of stiff flexiblesheet material thin enough to slip into the cracks between the ends ofsaid parts when nested together, each cradle end having a 'U-shaped slotdefining a downwardly-directed tongue, the shape of the slotcorresponding to the cross-sectional contour of the outer part and thewidth of the slot corresponding to the thickness of the outer part sothat the tongue may be slipped into said crack by flexing the lower endof the rocker outwardly after which the lower end may flex back underthe end of the box with the outer edge of the slot bearing on the outersurface of the outer part at the sides and bottom, the height of thecradle ends being less than the width of the box and the length of thecradle ends being less than the length of the box so that the cradleends can be stored in the box when the parts are disasse1n. bled, thecradle ends being curved on the bottom to serve as rockers.

' ROBERT TOMCHIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 7 Date 961,331 Young June 14, 19101,508,337 Jensen Sept. 9, 1924 2,278,124 Kowinski Mar. 31, 1942

